GAYLETTER

It’s officially Pride Month, and the pop boys & girls have burst out the gate with a batch of anthems to power you through the ups and downs of summer summer summer. Hear ye now some songs to add to the playlists for your parties, heartbreaks, road trips and beachside Tequila Sunrises. Gag.

The race for Song of the Summer 2019 has begun. May the odds be ever in ha favor.

Here’s GAYLETTER’s official Pride Playlist 2019.

“Never Really Over” by Katy Perry
A Katy Perry single sounds like Katy Perry! The pop universe has untilted its axis: the ocean is clean, the sky is a purer blue than ever, and Obama’s just about to wrap up his third term. “Never Really Over” gives euphoria, effervescent nostalgia, and breezy self-acceptance. For the first time in years, Katy Perry goes to the bright upper limit of her range, which made smashes of “Hot ‘N Cold,” “Firework,” and, obviously, “Teenage Dream.” No more the mid-range whisper-growl of “Swish Swish” or the eerie neutral tone of “Bon Appétit.” The darkness of the Witness era has been processed into a hit whose ecstatic pitch can remind the pop-versed gay only of Madonna’s “Ray of Light.” Bless up.

“Mother’s Daughter” by Miley Cyrus
This lead single from her EP She Is Coming is a return to form for Miley Cyrus. It’s a full-on empowerment anthem, with a dark fury that we haven’t seen on a Miley song since “Can’t Be Tamed.” …

It’s pride 2019 in New York City, do you know where your children are? Hopefully reading our wrap up of the not-to-be-missed events happening over the next week and a half. We tried to weed through all the corporate sponsored shitshows (we might have one in here, but it’s a truly special one clearly planned by a smart queen atop the 46th floor of a glass tower in FiDi). Mostly we’ve tried to focus on events that truly represent what it means to have pride — the ones made by and for the rebellious, non-conformist queers who are ready to throw a brick in the name of human rights and have a dance in the name of a good time.

It’s 50 years since Stonewall: let’s celebrate what we’ve learned and make light of our mistakes (s/o Absolut). Especially as a new flourish of diversity and equity is ushered in throughout our community, we should acknowledge our past and present shortcomings while we look brightly towards the future. And what better way to do that than with parades, parties, and poppers.

R.I.P. Marsha P. Johnson

Kim Petras photographed by Luke Gilford for GAYLETTER issue 9.

THURSDAY JUNE 20

EVENT: ‘A BIGGER SPLASH’ AFTER-PARTY HOSTED BY GAYLETTER
This Thursday there is only one place you need to be. We are hosting a screening of David Hockney’s 1973 Semi-fictionalized documentary biopic. The film is set after a difficult break-up, where Hockney is left unable to paint, much to the concern of his friends. …